Hobart City’s debut leaves coach smiling despite loss to Heidelberg

Callan Dell, of Hobart City, takes a mark during the club’s first practice game against Victorian team Heidelberg at Pontville Oval.Source: News Limited

HOBART City took to the playing field for the first time yesterday and left the coach with a smile on his face.

A young City team was unable to match opponents, Victorian side Heidelberg from the Northern Football League, for the entire match and went down by about five goals at Pontville but new coach Michael McGregor was happy with what he saw.

“It was pretty windy so it was all scoring at one end,” McGregor said.

“I felt we were really good, just wasted a couple of opportunities with the wind. It probably let us down a bit.

Hobart City Coach Michael McGregor chats to players on the way to the change rooms.Source: News Limited

“We just didn’t use the ball well enough in our forward line when we had the wind.

“Our clearance stuff was really good, we won there and we won around the ground, but we’ve got some work to be done up forward.

“Overall I thought we were pretty good.”

Last year’s North Hobart best and fairest Gareth Delaney looks in even better shape this year after a big pre-season, while former Hobart players Calvin Philp and Ryan Sullivan also slotted in seamlessly — a huge positive for the new entity made of the last year’s Demons and Tigers.

McGregor said the club had about 15 players unavailable yesterday, including six or seven who would be pushing for senior selection for the team’s first game for premiership points, the April 12 clash against Lauderdale at Lauderdale.

In Launceston, the Blues are considering whether to make a complaint to the TSL tribunal following an incident that left 16-year-old Ryan Sheppard with a broken collarbone during yesterday’s practice game with Clarence.

The small forward had kicked three goals when playing-coach Scott Stephens said Sheppard was met with a forceful, front on, intentional contact from his Roos opponent.

Stephens said he thought no report had been made on the incident but that his club might look into it.

“If you do those three things I mentioned then and someone gets injured then you are in strife aren’t you?”

The match was played over six 20-minute terms with a combination of senior and development players.

The Blues opened a big lead early against the young Roos before the experience levels were switched for the second half and Clarence stormed home for a narrow win.

However, Stephens wasn’t reading anything into the result.

“It is a bit hard to get a bit of a gauge on where we are at because of the way they matched it up but I was very pleased with our boys,” he said.

“The start of the game and the way they attacked the footy was quite pleasing.”

Lauderdale and Glenorchy will meet in a practice game today at Lauderdale Oval.